Method for delivering music content to a smart phone

ABSTRACT

A method of distributing media content using mobile communication devices including providing media access cards which promote selected media content to users of such devices whereby a user may access a web server associated with the media access cards and download application software enabling access to selected media content via a mobile device, the media access cards including a machine readable identification number code that identifies media content associated with the card whereby the application software facilitates reading and transmitting the code to a web server via the mobile device, receiving the identification number with the web server and using the identification number to locate a table value in a database wherein a plurality of media access cards identification numbers are associated with a media content table value, using the table value to identify media codes associated with the selected content server which transmits media to the mobile device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/599,517, filed Feb. 16, 2012, entitled METHOD FOR DELIVERING MUSICCONTENT TO A SMART PHONE (Atty. Dkt. No.GRNM-30950), the specificationof which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following disclosure relates to a method and system for providing auser of a mobile communications device with selected media content.

BACKGROUND

Trading cards, such as baseball cards, have been popular forgenerations. Traditionally, trading cards have been used to identifysports figures; baseball cards are especially well-known. Other suchcards have often featured cartoons, comic book characters, TV charactersand similar well known characters or similar subject matter. As such,trading cards present a potential means for performing artists,typically musicians, to promote their works.

Smart phones, e.g., mobile communications devices built on a mobileoperating operating system, have become ubiquitous. Such devices includecomputing capability and connectivity, many with high-resolution touchscreens and web browsers. Smart phones utilize Wi-Fi and broadbandcarriers for high speed data access and transmission. Recently, therapid development of mobile applications, application programs for smartphones and advanced application programming interfaces for running thirdparty applications have driven the adoption and use of smart phones.Such mobile communication devices, used with a form of trading cards,are the subject of the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

A method of distributing media content using mobile communicationdevices includes providing media access cards to users of the mobilecommunication devices. The cards may be sold, distributed as promotionalitems or otherwise distributed. The cards promote selected media contentsuch that a user may access a website associate with the media accesscards with the user's mobile communication device and downloadapplication software enabling the user to access the selected mediacontent. The card includes machine-readable code corresponding to anidentification number identifying media content associated with thecard. The application software facilitates reading the machine readablecode with the mobile user device and transmitting the code to a webserver with the mobile user device. The web server uses theidentification number to locate a table value in a database whereinidentification numbers from a plurality of media access cards are eachassociated with a table value corresponding to media content associatedwith the access cards. The table value is then used to identify a mediacode associated with the selected media content in a content server. Themedia code may then be sent to the mobile communications device whichmay then transmit the media code to the content server. After receivingthe media code, content server transmits the selected media content tothe mobile communication device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding, reference is now made to thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingDrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a representation of a promotional card used in connection witha method of providing users media content as disclosed herein;

FIG. 2 is a schematic of a system for providing media content to usersaccording to the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing media contentto users having mobile user devices as disclosed herein;

FIG. 3A is a flow chart illustrating an alternate method of providingmedia content to users having mobile user devices as disclosed herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates a display of a mobile user device wherein advertisingcontent is presented to the user of the device;

FIG. 5 represents a database for use in selecting user appropriateadvertising to be presented to the user of a mobile user device; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a system and method forproviding media content to users according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers are usedherein to designate like elements throughout, the various views andembodiments of a method for delivering music content to a smart phoneare illustrated and described, and other possible embodiments aredescribed. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in someinstances the drawings have been exaggerated and/or simplified in placesfor illustrative purposes only. One of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate the many possible applications and variations based on thefollowing examples of possible embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a media access card for use in connection with amethod of distributing music, music videos, electronic games or similarmedia content. Access cards 100 may be similar in size and appearance tothe well-known baseball cards. As illustrated, each promotional oraccess card 100 may include an illustration or photograph 102 of arecording artist or another image associated with the particular mediacontent being promoted. Card 100 also includes a machine readable code104 associated with the song, video or other piece of media contentbeing promoted. In one embodiment, machine readable code 104 may be abarcode, a CR code, an alphanumeric code or similar code. Code 104 isassociated with the particular media content being promoted with card100.

In one embodiment, a URL 106 is printed or reproduced on card 100 toenable a user to access a webpage to download application softwareenabling the user to access the media content being promoted. URL 106may be in the form of a machine readable code such as a barcode or QRcode such that the URL may be scanned. Cards 100 may be distributed inpackages for sale at retail, or included as a promotion, for example, incereal boxes or with other goods or services typically purchased byconsumers. If distributed in packages, cards 100 may be grouped by anartist, a particular type of music or video or on the basis of othercontent-related criteria. In some variations, a consumer may be chargeda fee for cards 100.

The machine readable code 104 of cards 100, for example, a CR code, mayinclude an image or indicia 110 positioned within or embedded in thecode. The image may be used in connection with a program e.g., theapplication software, which identifies image 110 and/or a portion 112 ofthe CR code within code 104. As set forth in greater detail below, image110 may serve as a means of further identifying a recording artist, aprovider of media content, and/or specific media content that may beaccessed using card. As will be appreciated, image or indicia 110 servesa pointer or locator for portion 112 of code 104 and may be positionedat different locations on card 100.

FIG. 2 is a schematic including a system for providing media content tousers of a mobile user device 200. Wireless user device 200 may be acell phone, a PDA, a tablet or similar device. User device 200 isconfigured with the software and hardware required to access a publicnetwork such as the Internet such that the device may be utilized toaccess the media content promoted with promotional card 100. User device200 will typically include a display 202, a processor 204, a GPS locatorchip or chipset 206 and a camera 208. User device 200 also includes astorage device 210 for data storage and retrieval. User device 200 willhave an electronic serial number (ESN) and/or a mobile identificationnumber (MIN) associated therewith such that the user device may beidentified. User device 200 is configured to access a network such asthe Internet 213 via a telecom service provider 214. A user may therebyaccess a first web server 220 by entering or scanning the URL 106 fromcard 100 using device 200. As set forth in detail below, an applicationprogram or software 270, associated with cards 100, along with one ormore databases 272 may be stored on user device 200.

Web server 220 includes a processor 222 and a communications interface224 that enables the server to communicate with user device 200 via theInternet 213 and telecom service provider 214. First web server 220 alsoincludes a data storage device 226 for storing one or more relationaldatabases or look-up tables 228. Database 228 includes a plurality ofunique identifiers or IDs 230, each encoded as all or a portion 112 ofcode 104 on promotional card 100 promoting particular media content. Asset forth in detail below, identifiers 230 enable mobile user device 200to access content providers 250.

A database 240 of user information may be stored on web server 220.Database 240 may include user profiles 242 including names, addresses,birthdates, media content preferences, marital status and similarinformation that may be useful for marketing and demographic purposes.The ESN or MIN of the user's device 200 may be linked in database 240 tothe profile of the user for identification purposes. A user profile 242may also include credit or debit card information to enable a user topay for selected media content. Database 240 or another databaseresident on, or in communication with server 220 may also include aplurality of “tokens” or identifiers, each associated with individualcopies of the application software downloaded to mobile user devices200.

Each content provider 250 includes a processor 252, a communicationsinterface 254 and a data storage device 256. A database 258 stored ondata storage device 256 includes a plurality of different pieces ofmedia content 241 such as songs and/or video clips. Sponsor informationmay be associated with different pieces of media content, such thatsponsor promotional material may appear along with the sponsored mediacontent when played or displayed with user device 200. In this regard,web server 220 and/or content provider server 250 may communicate withone or more sponsor or advertising entity servers 260 in order toassociate promotional materials with different pieces of media content.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing media contentsuch as songs and videos to a user having a mobile user device 200. Theprocess begins at step 300 where cards 100 are distributed to users. Atstep 302, a user enters or scans the URL for server 220 and is providedwith application software 270 at step 304 that enables the user toaccess selected media content. Application software 270 may becompatible with one or more operating systems used by different mobiledevices 200. The application software 270 may be adapted to functionwith mobile devices 200 having different operating systems. Aspreviously noted, a user may input or scan URL 106 on card 100 to accessweb server 220 to download application software 270.

After the user has downloaded application software 304, the software isstored on device 200 at step 306 and the user may then use card 100 toaccess selected media content as set forth below. In one embodiment, atoken or authentication code may be downloaded with the applicationsoftware. The token or authentication code may be unique for eachdownload of the application software. The user may be charged a fee forthe application software or the application software may be provided tothe user free of charge. A database 212 may be downloaded to device 200with the application software.

After the user has downloaded the application software to device 200 andacquired promotional card 100, he or she may capture an image of cardcode 104 at step 308 from the card using camera 204 of the user device.In different variations, code 104 may be a QR code, a barcode, analphanumeric code or a similar code. Code 104 may incorporate an image110 that further serves to facilitate identification of relevant partsof code 104. The application software may include instructions foridentifying image 110 and differentiating the image and/or a portion 112of machine readable code 104 from the remainder of the code. One or morefeatures of image 110 may be used for identifying relevant portions ofcode 104. For example, in one embodiment, lines or similar features ofimage 110 may be used by the application software to identify certainportions 112 of code 104 that contain the ID code 230 associated withparticular media content.

As illustrated, portion 112 is embedded in a larger field 104 of machinereadable code along with image or indicia 110. Image 110 is recognizedby application software 270 as a pointer or locator that identifies theportion 112 of code 104 corresponding to ID 230. The portion 112 of code104 containing ID 230 may then be read and decoded with applicationsoftware 270 and transmitted to web server 220 along with the token orauthentication code associated with the application software resident onuser device 200. Alternatively, if code 104 or portion 112 of code 104is not decoded by the application software, an image of code 104 orportion 112 may be transmitted to server 220, for example as an imagefile.

In the case where the application software has not been loaded onto orprogrammed into mobile user device 200 and machine readable code 104 isscanned and decoded with another program or device, machine readablecode 104 may be decoded as a URL for a website promoting cards 100 oranother product or service. Similarly, if image 110 is not recognizedwith the application software when card 100 is scanned, machine readablecode may be a URL for a website promoting cards 100 or another productor service. Alternatively, the application software may simple directmobile user device 200 to display a “code not recognized” or “error”message to the user.

At step 310, the portion 112 of card code 104 including ID 230 isidentified and then decoded with application software 270 at step 312.At step 314 ID code 230 is transmitted along with the token associatedthe application software from mobile user device 200 to server 220 viatelecom service provider 214. Database 228 is then queried at step 312to determine a table value 233. Table value 233 may be in the form of apointer or IP address that identifies one or more media codes 235associated with card 100 as indicated by arrow 237. Media codes 235 maybe included in database 228 or in a separate database 231 on the same ora separate server 239. Media codes 235 serve to media content 241 storedon media server 250.

After media code 235 has been determined at step 318, the media code isthen transmitted back to mobile user device 200 at step 320. A code oraddress pointing to sponsor promotional material resident on the same ora different server 260 may also be transmitted with media code 235 touser device 200. Mobile device 200 may query a database 212 to determinean IP address or URL 232 of a content provider 250 associated with mediacode 235 if the address of the media server is not been transmitted withthe media code. Database 212 may be resident on mobile device 200,stored on server 220, or stored on a second server.

Address 232 identifies a content provider 250 that may be accessed toprovide the selected media content. After the user device 200 isconnected to content provider 250 at step 324, the selected mediacontent is identified using media code 235 and transmitted to mobileuser device 200 at step 328. The media content may be a music video,song, portion of a song, a video clip (trailer) for a movie or similarpresentation or a portion or introduction to a video game. In oneembodiment, the entire media content, i.e., a song, music video, videoclip etc. is transmitted to user device. In another embodiment, aportion of the media content may be transmitted and presented to theuser in a manner so as to enable the user to determine if he or shewishes to purchases the entire media content, for example a song orsongs, a movie or an electronic game. In different variations, mobiledevice 200 also transmits a message to server 220 indicating that theselected media content has been transmitted to the device. Sponsorpromotional material may be simultaneously transmitted to mobile device200 from server 220 or server 250, depending upon where the sponsorpromotional material is stored.

At step 330, the selected media content, along with sponsor promotionalmaterial, is played and/or displayed on mobile user device 200. Indifferent variations, the selected media content transmitted to mobileuser device may be a music video, movie trailer (e.g., video clip), asong or portion of a song, a segment of an electronic game or similarcontent. FIG. 4 illustrates a display of a mobile user device whereinmedia content and/or advertising content is presented to the user ofmobile user device 200. As a security measure, media code or codes 235are deleted from mobile user device 200 at step 331 after transmissionof the selected media content or when application software 270 is closedon the device and the process ends at step 333.

FIG. 3A is a flowchart illustrating an alternate method wherein mediacontent is offered for sale. In this embodiment, only a portion of theselected media content is transmitted and played with user device 200 atstep 330 to enable a user to determine whether he or she wishes topurchase the entire selected media content for example, an album ofsongs, a movie or an electronic game. At step 332, the user may beprompted to purchase the entire media content, this enables a user todetermine whether he or she wishes to purchase the entire selected mediacontent for example, an album of songs, a movie or an electronic game.The prompt to purchase the selected media content may also provide theuser with an opportunity to view or play different songs, videos, games,etc., giving the user a choice of media content from which he or she mayselect.

At step 324, the user determines whether he or she wishes to purchasethe selected media content. If the user elects not to purchase the mediacontent, the process ends at step 338. If the user decides to purchasethe media content, mobile user device 200 transmits a message to server220 indicating that the media content has been purchased. The user'saccount is accessed at step 340 and the account is debited for thepurchase price of the media content at step 342. If the user does nothave an account, the user may establish an account at this point. Userprofile information stored on server 220 may be accessed to establish anaccount and/or the user may enter the information required to establishan account for example, user's name, address, birth date and a creditcard or debit card number that the content provider may use to chargethe purchase price of the media content provided to the user.

Alternatively, the user may enter a debit or credit card number to payfor the selected content without establishing an account with thecontent provider. At step 344, the media content provider may becredited by the operator of web server 220 a fixed fee or a percentageof the purchase price of the media content purchased by the user. Themedia code or codes 235 corresponding to the purchased media content aretransmitted to mobile user device 200 at step 346 after which, thepurchased media content may be transmitted to the user at step 348 asdescribed above. Media codes or codes 235 are then deleted from userdevice 200 at step 350 and the process ends at step 352.

Server 220 and or content server 250 may communicate with one or moresponsor or advertising entities via server 260 (FIG. 2). Referring nowto FIGS. 4 and 5, sponsoring entities 260 may provide promotionalcontent 402 that may be presented on display 202 of user device 200 inconnection with media content played or displayed on mobile user device200. Since mobile user device 200 is provided with GPS capability, thelocation of the device may be transmitted to web server 220, sponsorserver 260 and/or content server 250 such that location specificadvertising content may be selected for display on the user device. Forexample, if user device 200 is in a shopping mall, advertising for shopsor stores in the mall may be selected for presentation to the user ofthe device.

Referring specifically to FIG. 5, a database 500 may be utilized todetermine specific promotional content to be displayed to a user.Database 500 may include the ID 230 or other code associated with theparticular media content, one or more URLs 504 associated with IDs 230and with different user registrations 502. Database 500 may be residenton sponsor server 260, web server 220 or content provider sever 250. Forexample, a user may be unregistered, registered as a standard user,registered as a family user or registered as an adult user. DifferentURLs 504 may be associated with the different categories of users andused to access advertising content determined to be appropriate for theparticular category of user. For example, different advertising contentmay be provided to a user registered as a family user versus a userregistered as an adult user. Typically, advertising entities 260 paycontent provider 250 a fee for displaying or providing advertisingcontent 402 along with the user's selected media content. In differentvariations, advertising or sponsoring entities 260 may pay contentprovider 250 a fee for each time that the advertising content istransmitted to a mobile user device 200.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a method of providing media content to the userof a mobile device 200 such as a cell phone or PDA is further described.The user of the device scans or photographs a card 100 as previouslydescribed. Application software 270 identifies image 110 and portion 112of code 104. After application software 270 decodes portion 112 of code104 it transmits ID 230 along with the token associated with the userdevice to web server 220 where the authenticity of application software270 is verified using the token and a table value 233 is determinedusing ID 230. More than one table value or code 233 may be associatedwith a given ID 230. For example, multiple pieces of media content 241may be associated with ID 230 or a table value may be used to identify asponsor or sponsor promotional material to be presented with aparticular item of media content. In another variation a table value maybe used to identify a particular promotion of a media item.

Table value or values 233 are used in conjunction with database 231 toidentify media codes 235 associated with specific media items. Server239 uses a table value 233 as pointer for identifying a particular mediacode 235 associated with a particular media item in database 231. Aftermedia code 235 has been identified, it is transmitted back to userdevice 200. Media code 235 may be transmitted directly to user device200 from server 239 or may be transmitted through web server 220. In anembodiment where data base 231 is resident on web server 220, it isreturned directly to user device 200.

In one embodiment, mobile device 200 accesses a database 212 resident onthe device as indicated to determine an address or URL 232 of a contentserver 250 associated with ID 230. In different variations, address 232of content server 250 may be resident on web server 220, in which caseit is transmitted to user device 200 along with media code 235. Afteridentifying the address or URL the content provider 250 associated withID 230, mobile device 200 transmits a message to content provider 250including media code 235. The message transmitted to content provider250 may also include additional information such as the token associatedwith the user device, codes identifying sponsor promotional material andthe location of such materials on server 260 or multiple media codes235. Mobile device 200 may simultaneously transmit a message to sponsorserver 260 identifying the media content to be played or displayed.After identifying the desired media content, content server 250transmits the identified media content to mobile device 200 forlistening and/or viewing. Sponsor promotional material may besimultaneously transmitted to mobile device 200 for display with theselected media content. As previous noted, the media content may bemusic, video, an electronic game or other content.

In one variation, an artist or media provider may elect to promote theirmedia content with special features, such as a live impromptuperformance, video clips, interviews and similar features. In theseinstances, the artist or performer may produce such a feature and uploadthe feature to content server 250 with an identifier or promotional code251. Promotional code 251 may be pushed from content server 250 to webserver 220 and associated with ID 230 and associated with a table valuefor the ID. Web server 220 then push the promotional code along with ID230 to mobile user device 200 when application software 270 is startedor initiated on the mobile device. The ID 230 and promotional code 251may be stored in a database 280 resident on mobile user device 200. Whena card 100 having code 230 associated with a promotional code 251 isscanned, application software 270 displays or otherwise informs the userof mobile user device 200 of the special feature. The user may then begiven the option of accessing and playing the special feature.

The foregoing method provides a content provider with a means ofpromoting and distributing media content. The content is promoted bymeans of cards 100 (FIG. 1) which may be given or sold to potentialconsumers. Server 220 and application software 270 enable a consumer toutilize and select from different media content promoted with cards 100using a mobile communications device. The provider of cards 100 and theoperator of server 220 may be compensated for each time a consumeraccesses media content available through content provider 250 and/oreach time a consumer chooses to purchase and download available mediacontent. Content provider 250 and the server operator may realizeadditional revenue from sponsors and advertisers by presentingpromotional content to a user of mobile user device 200 along withselected media content.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure that method and system disclosed herein provides a meansof delivering music and other media content to a smart phone or similarmobile user device. It should be understood that the drawings anddetailed description herein are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive manner, and are not intended to be limiting to theparticular forms and examples disclosed. On the contrary, included areany further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions,alternatives, design choices, and embodiments apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scopehereof.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure that this method for delivering music content to a smartphone provides a method of delivering music content to a smart phoneprovides a convenient means for users to access media content as well asproviding the artists and producers a means of distributing such mediacontent. It should be understood that the drawings and detaileddescription herein are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than arestrictive manner, and are not intended to be limiting to theparticular forms and examples disclosed. On the contrary, included areany further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions,alternatives, design choices, and embodiments apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scopehereof, as defined by the following claims. Thus, it is intended thatthe following claims be interpreted to embrace all such furthermodifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives,design choices, and embodiments.

1. A method of distributing media content using mobile communicationdevices, comprising: providing media access cards to users of mobilecommunication devices, the cards promoting selected media contentwhereby a user may access a web server associated with the media accesscards with the user's mobile communication device and downloadapplication software enabling the user to access the selected mediacontent with the user's mobile communication device, the card furtherincluding machine-readable code corresponding to an identificationnumber, the identification number identifying media content associatedwith the card whereby the application software facilitates reading themachine readable code with the mobile communication device andtransmitting the code to the web server with the mobile communicationdevice; receiving the identification number with the web server andusing the identification number to locate a table value in a databasewherein identification numbers from a plurality of media access cardsare each associated with a table value corresponding to media contentassociated with the access cards; using the table value to identify amedia code associated with the selected media content in a contentserver whereupon the media code is transmitted to the mobilecommunications device whereby the mobile communication device maytransmit the media code to the content server, the content servertransmitting the selected media content to the mobile communicationdevice upon receiving the media code from the mobile communicationdevice.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the machine readable codecorresponding to the identification number is embedded in a larger fieldof machine readable code, the card including an indicia recognizable bythe application software, the indicia indicating the location of themachine readable code corresponding to the identification code withinthe larger field of machine readable code.
 3. The method of claim 1wherein the media access cards incorporate a web address for thewebsite.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein sponsor promotional materialis transmitted to the mobile communication device simultaneously withthe selected media content.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the sponsorpromotional material is resident on a sponsor server and wherein one ofthe table value or media code is used to identify sponsor promotionalmaterial to be transmitted to the mobile communication device with theselected media content.